Overtaking Horses

bit of a nightMARE yesterday. In blairadam forest which has a number of trail users.

Two horses in front of us, at least 4 dogs closer to the horses which are spooking them more than a little bit so we decide to hang back. At the next junction the lass at the back pulls over to let us past which we do slowly and thank her for and a smile is received.

The next woman is a different question, again some dogs spooking so we hang back to slowly overtake once we pass them. A bell or shouting at this stage woudl prob cause the horse to bolt.

So we crawl past only to receive a barrage of abuse at volume 11 including YOUR SCARING MY HORSE YOU IGNORANT IGNORANT PEOPLE. at which point the horse jumps in the air (maybe the shouting???) to which SEE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WHY ARENT YOU STOPPING YOU IGNORANT..At this stage i tried to explain we were overtaking slowly because the horse was already spooked but tbh it was a waste of time. we cycled on with IGNORANT echoing through the forest for at least 5 mins.

I would have said something like 'cyclists behind you' even if you think they already know you are there, they may not - it leaves the ball in their court as to letting you pass safely. Unfortunately some people will always have a problem but IME my approach is usually greeted with thanks.

Most horse riders I've encountered have been fine, and seem to really appreciate it, if you wait, and are patient (I don't mind waiting, love, I'm having a good look at your bottom!). But some seem very snooty, and seem to act as just because they are wealthy, they can treat everyone like serfs.

Several ways of dealing with her. One would be to ride ahead, then stop, and moon at her. What's she going to say then, eh?

But the most important thing, is to consider the horse. Having a large, powerful animal like that, going on the rampage, is good for neither man nor beast. Sounds like this woman wasn't fit to be riding horses anyway, and her whole attitude probably put the horse on edge in the first place. Horses seem to be able to pick up on your state of mind; if you stay calm, the horse will be a lot easier to deal with, I find.

Possibly find out what stables she's riding out of, and go and have a word about her abusive behaviour.

Personally, I probably would have given her both barrels of East End Council Estate nastiness.

But that would probably not have been at all productive. And might have upset the horse even more.

Perhaps wait until she's off the horse, then have a go at her.

I think I'd want to stop short of stoving her head in with a claw hammer, and then dismembering her before burying the bits in different counties; might be a tad excessive, that.

Personally, I'd have told then to get f*cked and carried on my merry way. They're the group of users I find more ignorant than any others to be honest. If the bloody thing's not able to be ridden without getting spooked, then they're the ones that need to sort sh*t out, not you. A polite "bike behind you, passing on your left etc" should be all that's necessary. If they ask you to wait, then that's fair enough, but to think they've got some god given right to have everyone treat them with kid gloves is out of order IMO

I once dared to suggest to a few horse riders at Wharncliffe that they should wait where they were for a few seconds as more riders would be coming down the trail. cue abuse from lady at teh front along the lines of "we were here first, Its a BRIDAL path and we can go where we want, you have to give way to us!" etc. Being a mature, well balanced adult, I responded by waving them on, only for a few seconds later three DHers to emerge at full whack from out of the woods (one of them air born) much skidding a squealing from brakes to avoid dropping off the other side of the fire road and some very spooked horses.

I used to ride horses, and it is a pain when people act in a selfish way, but if your horse is easily spooked, don't take it where other people are likely to be (we'd ride young horses on private land). That said, some people are just idiots. Put on a horse, there just bigger idiots.

Hanging back on a bike and making no other noise will spook most horses. They can hear you but not see you and unless they're particularly used to bikes (unlikely) they get scared and think you're probably going to eat them.

As mk says it's better to make yourself known vocally, both out of courtesy to the rider and to let the horse know you're not a horse eating monster.

Having been kicked by a horse whilst stationary I now either ask if it's ok to pass if need to over take, if they are coming towards me I will stop and but the bike between me and the horse and wait for it to pass just to be 100% sure.

I was on a local ride once and came down a track to find a horse rider completely out of control with her horse (well spooked before I even arrived). I stopped a little way back, saw she was struggling and offered some help to which I got told she didn't need any help. I stood there out of the way giving her time to control her horse. After a few minutes of her not being able to control it and nearly being bucked off the horse I got a load of abuse from being there and that I should go and hide in a bush as I was causing the problem. I told her politly that I was NOT hiding in a bush and walked back up the path out of sight and waited there. A few minutes later the rider and horse came up, she stopped and tried to give me more abuse to which I replied 'Your horse isn't scared of me now and I am not doing anything different, I think you should learn to control your horse in a paddock first before taking it out on public paths' - I won't repeat the mouthful of abuse I recieved and I just continued on my way.

Most of the horse riders round my way have a big chip on their shoulder and if you are nice to them or rude you'll end up with the same abuse.

Not so long back at Whitewebbs in Enfield I had a horse almost gallop into me, despite the "No Galloping" signs, and the rider then told me "it's not safe for me to ride here". I was too dumbstruck to tell them that it was their riding that was dangerous for everyone else.

(the rider wasn't on a lead so I was tempted to kick them in the head, but there was little point given they had a helmet on).

Also, generally speaking why do female riders tend to be polite and courteous whilst male riders are all moody d***heads?

Most horses/horseriders I've met have been very pleasant and I used to ride horses quite a bit anyway so kind of know how to handle them.
Had a similar incident to meeheja ^^ once when we encountered the local hunt, told them to please wait as there were riders coming down the path behind us. We were told in no uncertain terms to 'f*** off out the way you peasant scum', they rode round the bend and next thing there was a lot of brake squealing and a lot of shouting and spooked horses. One (horse)rider came off but we weren't hanging around to get the abuse from that so we buggered off sharpish.
If you're upset about her behaviour, it'd be worth a word with the stables, people are generally better behaved when they're not looking down on you from horseback!

Most horseriders IME are fine as long as you dont career round a bend into them, however you will ALWAYS get a minority in ANY sport (ours included) who think they are right and you are wrong.
If i can be bothered i'll have a bit of verbal sparring with them and then a good old laugh at them. Usually winds them up further. Whatever i do or say its not going to change their opinion so i might as well have some fun! Although i might try comepletely agreing with them, that REALLY confuses them.
Might have to kick the horse if i feel threatened next time.

I always call before I get too close. 'Couple of bikes behind'. Most people seem to appreciate that.

My personal experience is that if you want to meet an arrogant, self centred t-w-a-t then look halfway along a horses back. (*Sincere apologies to girl in Chargford, Devon - who had the intelligence and consideration to trot along the single track road for about 50yds to a passing place to let me past - but that is the ONLY consideration I've ever had from a horse rider in 35 years of road/trail etc use)

Dily Male
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Car driver mows down cyclists. After being startled by a crisp bag blowing out of a hedge the driver reversed vigorously backwards and forwards, mowing down several cyclists. The judge dismissed the case on the grounds that the car had been there first and the driver ouldn't possibly have expected a crisp bag to be blown by the wind.

reminds me of an incided a few years back, when v-brakes were cool rather than retro.

crossing a field see some horses coming in the opposie direction (a good 100m away) so pull over and stop. Que a torrent of abuse for using my brakes (admitely it was wet and mudy so a bit of a squeek could be heard) and scaring the horses. Cant remember my reply but it involved dumfounded silence followed by my best monty python esque abuse (referances to their ancestors, hamsters and a butternut sqash).

I had one where she said "get off your bike you idiot", the horse still didn't like it and I suggested politely that if her horse couldn't even cope with walkers she should perhaps ride it round a few fields before taking it out into one of the most popular areas in the UK for walking / cycling. Then she said "sorry, I guess you're right" and rode off back where she'd come from. Didn't know what to say, I was gearing up for a good old argument there.

The horse riders around here are very civil. Many times we've come across a young horse that mainly gets spooked by the noise of a bike. I have got off a few times and asked the rider if the horse would like to get a good look at it.

Alway ask to pass and if they say can we wait, then we hang back until it's safe.

I once saw a horse throw its rider off - I went over to check if she was ok, and received a load of abuse, saying how it was my bike that had spooked it. Given that I was some distance away, wheeling my bike through a gate when it happened, this seemed highly unlikely. Perhaps the next time I fall off due to a lack of talent, I'll head over to the nearest stables to give them some abuse.